Top Canadian world junior players who fizzled

Top Canadian juniors who fizzled

The Maple Leafs labeled star junior goaltender Justin Pogge as the second coming in Toronto, especially after he backstopped Canada to gold in the 2006 world junior tournament, allowing just a goal per game along the way. But things began to go sideways during the 2006 Spengler Cup when the now 26-year-old committed an unforced error behind his net that led to the Canadians dropping the tournament final. In seven games played with the Leafs from 2008-09, Pogge allowed more than four goals a game. He was eventually traded to the Anaheim Ducks for next to nothing in 2009 before being sent to the Carolina Hurricanes less than a year later. Now, you can find Pogge poking around in the Italian league close to a decade into his career, a far off place from where he was six years ago.

Dave Chyzowski

Chyzowski’s professional career spanned three decades following the 1990 world junior tournament, one in which he was named to the tournament all-star team after registering 13 points during Canada’s march to gold. After being selected second overall by the New York Islanders in 1989, Chyzowski appeared in the NHL just 126 times from 1989-2007.

Manny Legace

During the 1993 world junior Legace was named to the tournament’s all-star team alongside names like Paul Kariya, Markus Naslund and Peter Forsberg. After backstopping Canada to gold that year, Legace was drafted 188th overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 draft. Although his career wasn’t as shocking as some of the names on this list, Legace appeared 60 times or more just once in his career before retiring this year. When his save percentage fell to .885 in 2008, Legace was sent down to the AHL, never again to taste NHL success.

Tony Caldwell/Ottawa Sun

Marty Murray

Murray was the 1995 tournament’s leading scorer ahead of fellow Canadians Jason Allison and Bryan McCabe. He was named to the world junior all-star team after helping Canada win gold with a perfect tournament record. Although he wasn’t that highly touted as the 96th pick in the 1993 NHL draft, the Calgary Flames draftee appeared just 26 times for the Albertans before short stints with the Flyers, Hurricanes and Kings. When it was all said and done, Murray made just 261 regular season appearances during his 15 years as a pro and scored just 73 points. Considering he registered 15 points in the 1995 world junior, Murray left a lot to be desired.

JASON HALSTEAD

Nolan Baumgartner

A top defenceman in the 1996 world junior tournament in Massachusetts, Baumgartner was named to the tournament’s all-star team alongside Swedish defenceman Mattias Ohlund. But after being taken 10th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1994 NHL draft, Baumgartner played just 143 times on NHL ice during short stints with six NHL teams. A career AHLer who played last year with the Chicago Wolves, Baumgartner didn’t come close to living up to the hype after helping Canada win gold with the assistance of Jarome Iginla and Jose Theodore.

Marcel Cretain / Winnipeg Sun /

Brent Tully

Tully is the only player on this list to never appear in an NHL game. Thus, the picture of him looking like he's dressed for church. After failing to earn promotion following multiple seasons in the AHL, the 1993 world junior all-star defencman tried his hand in Europe before leaving the game in 2002.

Daniel Tkaczuk

Brian Gionta, the Sedins and Simon Gagne are all recognizable names that came out of the 1999 world junior tournament in Winnipeg. Oh, and Canadian Daniel Tkaczuk, the tournament’s second leading scorer and someone who was instrumental in helping the Red and White secure silver. Taken sixth, yes SIXTH, overall by the Calgary Flames in the 1997 NHL draft, Tkaczuk offered so little during his career that his picture doesn’t even appear on the NHL’s official website. During his 15-year, mostly minor league career, Tkaczuk appeared in just 19 NHL games, making him one of the biggest world junior busts in the history of the tournament.

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Mathieu Biron

Biron (getting smashed into the boards) is 32 and nowhere to be found after helping Canada’s world juniors win bronze in 2000. The promising defenceman was the only Canadian named to that tournament’s all-star team, the kind of form which saw Biron taken 21st overall by the L.A. Kings in the 1998 NHL draft. After playing just 253 NHL games in seven season during short stints with the Islanders, Lightning, Panthers and Capitals, Biron never saw NHL ice again after 2006.

SUN

Steve Mason

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ netminder continues to spiral down in a flaming ball of glory since helping Canada capture world junior gold in 2008, winning the tournament’s best goaltender award along the way. In his first season in Columbus, one in which he was nominated for the Vezina Trophy, Mason helped the Jackets to their first ever NHL playoff appearance. Since then, things have only gotten worse. Way worse. Amid dustups with coaches and a plummeting save percentage, Mason’s 16-26-3 record last season has many questioning his ability to move forward as a pro.

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Jamie Storr

Storr had a solid five-year run in the late 1990s after being drafted seventh overall by the L.A. Kings in 1994. He was one of the 1994 world junior tournament’s top goaltenders and helped Canada to gold at the event. But a decent run with the Kings ended in 2003 when Storr moved to the Carolina Hurricanes, where he failed to pick up a win in 14 tries. His .878 save percentage saw him drop off the map and eventually end his career in Germany.